1. Field of the Invention
The present invention applies to specific improvements to bottle stopper removers for removing mushroom-shaped stoppers, those commonly made from either cork or plastic, from champagne and other sparkling beverage bottles, and more specifically applies to extractors that incorporate opposing bifurcated jaws and a pair of handles about a common pivot; jaws that provide a leveraged lifting action for removing the stopper by squeezing said handles.
2. Description of Related Art
Invention and use of bottle stopper removers for sparkling beverages sealed with mushroom-shaped stoppers are known to the public. The concept of using bifurcated jaws for such devices was first introduced by Spriggs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,110. While the concepts disclosed by Spriggs are valid, significant refinements brought forth in Crudgington U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,394 were necessary to produce a viable product of this type.
This type of bottle stopper remover in its basic form is comprised of upper and lower bifurcated jaws that engage about the neck or top of the bottle. Each jaw forms a pair of prongs with essentially a U-shaped blade incorporated therein. Depending on its application the blade associated with the lower jaw rests directly on either the flared section directly below the bottle's lip or on the top of the bottle's lip, while the blade belonging to the upper jaw is positioned under the head of either a cork or plastic stopper. A squeeze of a pair of handles about a common pivot results in the spreading of the jaws which in turn serves to exert an upwardly-directed leveraged force on the stopper, thus eliminating the need to manually “wrestle” the stopper out of the bottle.
3. Object of the Invention
It is the object of the present invention to provide significant improvements to inventions previously disclosed by Spriggs and Crudgington that enhance the function of hand manipulable devices of this type for removing mushroom shaped stoppers from sparkling beverage bottles.